Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessObtain subscriber account
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DeliveryEnumerate target group IDs
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ExploitCraft authenticated AJAX request
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ExecutionInvoke pm_invite_user without capability check
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PersistBypass authorization gates
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ImpactAccess restricted group content
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V8 - Authorization Authorization checks on every request
MITRE ATT&CK
1 technique across 1 tactic: Privilege Escalation The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Requires authenticated WordPress account with Subscriber-level privileges or above. WordPress sites with open user registration (the default 'Anyone can register' setting) meet this condition, allowing attackers to self-provision the required authenticated session. The vulnerability affects the pm_invite_user AJAX handler, which is accessible to all authenticated users regardless of group settings. Exploitation succeeds against closed groups (administrator approval required), paid groups (payment processing required), and restricted groups (membership tier requirements) - the missing capability check bypasses ALL authorization mechanisms ProfileGrid implements. Sites not using ProfileGrid's group functionality or those with completely disabled user registration have reduced attack surface, though existing compromised subscriber accounts could still exploit this. No specific server configuration, non-default WordPress settings, or special ProfileGrid features must be enabled; the vulnerable code path executes whenever the plugin is active and an authenticated user calls the pm_invite_user function. User interaction is not required (UI:N). Scope is unchanged (S:U), meaning the attacker cannot escalate beyond the WordPress application context, but within that context can access any ProfileGrid group without limitation. |
| Impact | Real-world risk assessment requires balancing multiple signals. CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N) indicates network-exploitable with low complexity but requires low-privilege authentication (subscriber account). The 7.1 severity stems from high integrity impact (I:H) - attackers gain unauthorized group memberships - but limited confidentiality impact (C:L) and no availability impact. Without EPSS data, statistical exploitation probability cannot be quantified. No CISA KEV listing suggests this is not yet broadly exploited in the wild. However, the attack barrier is low: WordPress subscriber accounts are trivially obtainable on most sites through self-registration. The impact severity depends heavily on deployment context - sites using ProfileGrid for paid membership tiers or confidential communities face revenue loss and data exposure; sites using it purely for public organization face minimal risk. Source code references confirm the exact vulnerable code paths, increasing confidence this is exploitable. The lack of POC availability data prevents confirming whether exploit tooling exists, but the straightforward nature of capability check bypasses typically makes exploitation development trivial for WordPress security practitioners. SSVC classification: exploitation state unknown, highly automatable (simple AJAX request), moderate-to-major technical impact depending on group content sensitivity. Priority should be elevated for revenue-generating membership sites or those hosting sensitive community data. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker registers a free subscriber account on a WordPress site using ProfileGrid for paid membership communities. They identify premium groups by enumerating group IDs through site navigation or API responses. Using browser developer tools or an HTTP proxy, the attacker crafts an authenticated AJAX POST request to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with action=pm_invite_user, their user ID, and the target premium group ID. The vulnerable pm_invite_user function processes this request without checking whether the subscriber has authorization to join paid/closed groups, immediately granting membership. The attacker now accesses premium content, private discussions, and restricted resources intended for paying members, bypassing all payment gates and membership tier restrictions. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – May 13, 2026
Authenticated subscribers can bypass authorization gates and forcibly join any ProfileGrid group - including closed, paid, or restricted groups - through a missing capability check in the pm_invite_user function. Affects all ProfileGrid plugin versions up to 5.9.8.4. The vulnerability enables low-privilege users to circumvent membership restrictions and payment requirements, potentially exposing premium content and private community spaces. EPSS data not provided; no CISA KEV listing identified, indicating no confirmed widespread exploitation at time of analysis. CVSS 7.1 reflects high integrity impact due to authorization bypass capabilities.
RemediationAI
Primary remediation: Update ProfileGrid plugin to version 5.9.8.5 or later, which implements proper capability checks per changeset https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3491679/. The patch adds authorization validation to the pm_invite_user function before processing group membership modifications. WordPress administrators should update via Dashboard → Plugins → Update or download from the official WordPress plugin repository. If immediate patching is not feasible, implement these compensating controls with noted trade-offs: (1) Restrict new user registration to administrator approval only (Settings → General → Membership → 'Anyone can register' to disabled) - this prevents attackers from creating subscriber accounts but blocks legitimate user onboarding and may impact site growth; (2) Audit existing group memberships for unauthorized users by reviewing ProfileGrid → Groups → [Group Name] → Members, looking for subscriber-level accounts in premium/restricted groups - labor-intensive for large communities; (3) Temporarily disable ProfileGrid AJAX endpoints for subscriber roles via custom WordPress plugin filtering 'wp_ajax_' hooks - requires PHP development expertise and breaks legitimate subscriber functionality. All workarounds reduce functionality; patching is strongly preferred. Verify remediation by attempting unauthorized group joins with test subscriber accounts post-update.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
ProfileGrid is a WordPress plugin providing user profile management, group functionality, and community features with membership controls. The vulnerability exists in the pm_invite_user AJAX handler within class-profile-magic-public.php, which processes group membership requests without verifying user capabilities or authorization levels. Per WordPress security model, capability checks are required before privileged operations like group assignment. CWE-862 (Missing Authorization) indicates the function executes sensitive actions - adding users to groups - without validating whether the authenticated user has permission to perform that action. This differs from authentication bypass (verifying identity) as it specifically involves missing authorization checks (verifying permissions). The CPE identifies the vulnerable component as the metagauss:profilegrid plugin across all versions through 5.9.8.4, affecting WordPress sites using this community management functionality.
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Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:N
Primary rating from NVD · only source for this CVE.
CVSS VectorNVD
DescriptionCVE.org
The ProfileGrid - User Profiles, Groups and Communities plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized access due to a missing capability check on the pm_invite_user function in all versions up to, and including, 5.9.8.4. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to add themselves or any registered user to any ProfileGrid group, including closed and paid groups, bypassing all authorization and payment gates.
Executive ViewAI
CVE-2026-4609 affects the ProfileGrid WordPress plugin (versions ≤5.9.8.4) and allows authenticated users to bypass group membership restrictions and access closed, paid, or restricted community groups without authorization or payment. This directly impacts revenue models reliant on paid group membership and exposes sensitive private community content to unauthorized access. Organizations using ProfileGrid to manage premium communities or membership-based content face both financial loss and reputational risk from uncontrolled group access.
No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Interim mitigations: (1) Restrict 'contributor' and 'subscriber' role capabilities in WordPress to block group join functionality via user role editor; (2) implement additional server-side authorization logging on group membership changes to detect exploitation attempts; (3) disable public group discovery features and require admin approval for all group joins; (4) monitor group membership audit logs for suspicious enrollment patterns from low-privilege accounts.
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.
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EUVD-2026-29954
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
GitHub PoC
Exploit-DB